


It's a Beautiful Life

by Tayani



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Actual Phantom Thief Akira, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Goro is oblivious af, Hostage Situations, Kinda?, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Romance What Plot, actual Detective Goro, it's a goroday fic just enjoy the boy being happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 19:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18723751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: Akira never consciously decided to start flirting with the detective chasing after him.It just... happened. Like several other things; and now, all of a sudden, he was in love, and very, very much in trouble...Happy Goro Day everyone!





	It's a Beautiful Life

Akira never consciously decided to start flirting with the detective chasing after him.

He had never consciously decided to become a Phantom Thief either, now that he thought of it. It just… happened one day. A crooked teacher at his school was untouchable by any other means but stealing some classified documents from the principal’s office, and Akira just so happened to know how to pick locks, and it somehow… all went on from there. It has been years since his first, rather amateur heist, and now here he was, with a loyal team, international fame and a rather adorable detective half a step behind him at all times.

Well, Akechi Goro _was_ adorable. He was also smart, devilishly so. He was quite possibly the most intelligent person Akira has ever met, and his continuous escapes from the traps the detective set for him were all due and thanks to the joint efforts of his whole team, and quite a _lot_ of luck. Hell, Akechi was the only person so far who actually met Joker face to face – for just a split second before the lights went out, _but still_ – and the only one who had ever spoiled his plan and stopped him from stealing his target.

Akira had never been able to get the detective out of his mind after the Okumura heist and its aftermath. Well, it was hard to just ignore Akechi even before that, but there was something impossible to resist in the way the detective made a complete fool of himself. Oh, Akira’s ego left that heist very bruised; especially since he had to use his net of Confidants to actually mitigate the clumsy work he had done that day; but the fact remained. Not only was he unable to steal the documents proving Okumura Kunikazu’s misconduct, but also ended up endangering the man’s life - and that on top of almost getting caught and arrested. By all accounts, Akira should have been furious at Akechi for foiling his plans so splendidly; instead, he felt _captivated_.

Perhaps that was the reason why he still found it important to play with the very Detective Prince who was so relentlessly hot on his trail. He had sent more calling cards, half-mocking and half-flirting, to Akechi than he had to all of his other targets combined. He had taken to leaving flowers on the scenes of his crimes, and only the two of them knew why. That one second they met, he even managed a wink before the darkness fell between them and he had to run. None of these were a conscious choice, certainly. It fitted the character, Akira tried to explain to the other Thieves when Ryuuji pressed him about this. That, at least, no one could deny – Joker was a gentleman thief through and through. Yes, it was just to stay in the character… Akira definitely didn’t have a crush.

No one – except maybe Ryuuji – _really_ believed him, though. Akira could fool some of them; could even fool himself, but the joint might of Ann and Haru alone left him being confronted and admitting that alright, perhaps there _was_ something. An admiration; respect for his rival…

...Okay _fine_ , so maybe he sometimes, very occasionally, fantasized about giving Akechi a kiss. Sue him.

It would, of course, be a lot easier to stay away and let himself cool off from the dangerous crush if Akira didn’t happen to work and live at a café Akechi Goro adored and spent his every free hour at. The detective’s presence unnerved Akira at first, but after years of him coming here for coffee and Akira getting to know the rather lonely boy behind the cheerful, pleasant mask, all suspicion that Akechi was on his trail alleviated. Indeed, Akira could probably say he had the honour of being one of the very few people Akechi could call his friend, even if both of them were very careful not to touch on any topics that involved matters too personal for either of them. And Akira always made sure never to use any and all information he gained through Akechi’s visits to Leblanc. It was just so that the detective won’t ever have the reason to suspect him, of course. It totally didn’t have anything to do with the fact Akira would _hate_ to feel like he betrayed Akechi’s trust. Or the worry that even if Akechi didn’t suspect him personally, he’d stop coming to Leblanc afterwards, and Akira would be robbed of all the long, beautiful hours spent observing the detective, talking with him and seeing him smile.

Still, even so, all things considered, this was nothing. Akira could navigate his sweet, hopeless crush pretty well, and anyway, it’s not like he had any hope for it ever being reciprocated. Akechi didn’t seem to be interested in anything but his work, the case and the Phantom Thieves. And then…

And then, the hostage situation happened.

Akira had later wondered, what were the odds. He had planned his next heist meticulously – the target was an art gallery, one from which he wanted to steal a forgery of a rather well-known painting and reveal it as one. The story behind it was a bit more complicated – a family business was in danger of a takeover because of a malicious corporation, and the funds from it stemmed from the painting in question. There was some less-good-natured theft involved, some long-running family grudges… the point was, the Phantom Thieves decided to help and to do _that,_ they needed the painting.

Akira hadn’t sent the calling card yet – he needed to establish his infiltration route first, and that was the reason for his nightly visit to the gallery. He knew that it would be open late into the night; that day, there was a city-wide _museum night_ program going on, supposed to bring more working people to visit local exhibits. He picked this time specifically because, knowing there will be people coming and going to and from the building the whole night, the security was bound to be lax that day. With a bit of planning and a bit of Oracle interfering with the local camera system, Akira was sure his infiltration would proceed smoothly.

He did not foresee two things.

One, Akechi was just as interested in art as he seemed interested in anything else that provided him with a bit of sophisticated relaxation. And thus, he chose to visit this exact gallery at that exact time.

Second, Akira was not the only one who noticed how the lax security that night could be a good opportunity for a heist.

The dark-clad, masked robbers appeared out of nowhere, just as Akira was peacefully crawling through the ventilation shaft over the gallery, his eyes on the prize. They had a gun and seemed happy to wave it about. There were shouts, then curses when police sirens wailed outside the gallery, and then a shriek and a cry when one of the attackers pulled a woman out from behind one of the exhibits, tore out the phone she was holding in her hand and hit her with it.

Then – though he had to stop himself from jumping out and interfering himself – Akira saw Akechi, standing up and putting himself in front of the woman. Still in shock over even _seeing_ him there, Akira saw the man put a gun to Akechi’s head, yelling at everyone else to kneel on the ground, hands over their heads. He heard Akechi explain, in surprisingly calm, controlled voice, who he was and how much more valuable as a hostage he’d be. Heard him convince the attackers to let the civilians go. It’ll be easier on them, too, to only need to control the one person.

They listened to him, Akira was astonished to see from his hiding place; and then winced when the man with the gun used it to strike Akechi across the face, knocking him down. They released the other hostages, and then bound and gagged the detective, throwing him right against the painting Akira was planning to steal and—well, wasn’t that convenient.

“Joker, get out of there! It’s going to get hot in there in a second!” Futaba yelled into his ear, but Akira simply turned off his communicator and crawled the last two meters. He was now directly above Akechi and the painting; the trouble was, the ventilation shaft was too small to fit the two of them. He looked at the attackers, standing grimly by the windows and arguing over what to do next. The gallery was long, and they were in the other corner of it. Behind the big painting right to the side of where Akechi laid, there was a curtain masking the door leading to a second staircase, he knew, but they would be closed.

Well, Akira grinned to himself. He had a painting to obstruct him from view, and long-honed lock-picking skills to aid him.

Quiet and graceful like a cat, he slipped out from the ventilation shaft and crouched behind the painting Akechi was laying by, melting into its shadow. The detective noticed him; Akira saw his gorgeous, crimson eyes widen, but he put a finger to his lips and Akechi nodded hesitantly, looking away from him. Akira looked around one last time and sneaked to another hiding spot, sliding under the heavy curtain that hid the door.

“Did you hear something?” One of the robbers squeaked nervously, and they turned back to look at the far side of the room. Akechi visibly strained against his bounds, making a shuffling noise; obviously doing his best to cover up anything they could have heard from Akira. One of the robbers let out a hysterical laugh and came closer, giving the detective a kick and ordering him to keep quiet.

It took absolutely every bit of will Akira had not to jump out and murder the bastard on the spot.

He contented himself with picking the lock in the door as fast as he could and taking care to open them silently and wedge them open behind the curtain. Someone outside had started to talk to the robbers via a megaphone, and they were once again being pulled towards the window. Akira took advantage of that.

Akechi really wasn’t any heavier than some of the treasures Joker had stolen away in his past.

It was a mad run to the roof, with the detective, still bound and gagged in his arms, but Akira didn’t want to risk stopping for fear the robbers would notice their hostage had gone and make chase. He turned his communicator on again, and though he couldn’t speak – he couldn’t risk Akechi recognizing him, he _couldn’t_ – Futaba informed him that she saw everything and was currently informing the police the situation was under control. When they finally got to the roof, she had informed him the police received the tip-off. The situation was, from now on, out of their hands.

Akira nodded, hoping she could understand his gratitude; and then carefully set the detective on the roof, undoing his gag first and foremost before starting to work on his other ties. Akechi spat out the piece of cloth they gagged him with and stared at him, eyes just slightly, barely unfocused from the hit he had endured.

“Joker..?” He whispered, and Akira wished he wasn’t melting inside, hearing his codename spoken out in such a voice. “Why were you—How—Why would you—”

Akira straightened up and pressed a finger to Akechi’s lips; catching him by surprise, by the look of it. He _wished_ he could speak; wished he could say he was sorry for the hits he endured, wished he could tell him he saw how brave Akechi was, offering himself in order to free others. For now, his hand moved gently, fingertips brushing over the bruise quickly forming on the detective’s left cheek. He felt Akechi shudder and then, for just the fragment of a moment, felt him lean into the touch.

“…it wasn’t your fault,” Akechi said as if he could read his thoughts. Akira smiled at him and saw that smile reciprocated, if hesitantly. As he continued to work on the cruelly-tight binds, he felt Akechi’s eyes searching his face, as if he tried to force his mask off with his look alone.

“Why did you help me, Joker? Aren’t we supposed to be enemies?”

Akira finally got impatient, pulled out a small switchblade he carried and cut through Akechi’s ties easily, setting him free. He noted how Akechi didn’t even flinch, and that made him almost miss the movement of the detective’s hand. He barely managed to catch the other’s wrist before he could pull his mask off, and their eyes met over their joined hands.

“…had to give it a shot.” Akechi managed a wry smile, and then laughed quietly, slumping against the wall Akira had sat him by. “I suppose you deserve something better for, quite possibly, saving my life.” His smile turned wider and mocking as he looked up.

“Were you hoping for a kiss from your damsel in distress?”

Akira really didn’t have to jump on that tease. He really _shouldn’t_ have. But the temptation was only too great. It was a spur of the moment – he leaned in, still holding Akechi’s wrist, and pressed their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. He felt, for a second that felt like an eternity, Akechi stiffen and then almost immediately melt into the kiss. He tasted his surprise and then just a _hint_ of delight, just a sweet aftertaste of it once they parted. Keeping his voice barely audible, hardly more than a whisper, Akira risked two words.

“ _I was._ ”

And then, he was gone; running over the rooftops, his heart singing, confident in the fact Akechi will either find his way down on his own or be rescued by the police currently flooding the perimeter. He felt like he could fly right now, and very nearly needed to, trying to escape unscathed himself; but he hardly minded.

He had kissed Goro Akechi, and the man in question did not protest. This day could have gone in many worse ways than that.

 

* * *

 

After the hostage situation, Akechi had been removed from the Phantom Thieves case.

He told that to Akira himself the next day when he walked into Leblanc, his bruised cheek hidden under a bandage and a crooked, wistful smile on his face. When he first saw him, Akira actually had a moment of panic – after all, his Joker disguise wasn’t perfect, and Akechi was smart enough he might have recognized him. Alas, even just ten minutes into it, Akira was already certain he had not.

Frankly, if anything, Akechi seemed so lost in thought he was hardly able to notice anything. He smiled a strange little smile when Akira asked him about his face, and recounted – in a much more-edited version, in Akira’s opinion – the happenings of the last day. Up and until his rescue, which he summed up with _someone appeared to help me out, thankfully_ , and let out a little sigh.

It was the identity of that _someone_ , Akechi explained, that made his higher-ups decide on pulling him away from the Phantom Thieves case altogether, under the guise of him having to get better from his injuries. There was a conflict of interest, they said; or there could be an accusation of one, at least, and no one was going to risk that. Akechi couldn’t be trusted by the general public to fight against the criminal who in all possibility saved his life. Akira asked if he was angry about that. He didn’t expect Akechi to flush and say that no, he wasn’t really.

“It _would_ be hard,” He said, smiling to himself with a strange, faraway look on his face. Earlier, while telling his story, Akechi had spilt some of his coffee on the counter; now, his finger moved to the few drops still there, drawing a tiny heart out of them. Akira didn’t think he realized what he was doing, and anyway, the look on the detective’s face and his actions made the breath catch in his throat. Surely, Akechi wasn’t…

“What would?” He asked if only to get his mind away from the possibility that last night could have… _meant_ something to Akechi. It wasn’t worth deliberating upon; he certainly couldn’t do that now. He couldn’t hope that Akechi…

“Continuing to pursue the man who saved me,” Akechi said, and let out a soft little sigh. “Anyway… I’d be glad to come back to cases I can truly get behind, Akira-kun. The Phantom Thieves… they’re really in the grey area, aren’t they? How can I claim to uphold justice when the one I am pursuing brings the scum of society to justice himself… Bad people and criminals can rarely be seen performing acts of heroism, can they?”

Akira broke a cup. Akechi ignored him, staring into the distance and then letting out a long, wistful sigh.

“I wonder…” He murmured, and Akira, even in his stunned state, couldn’t help but think these words were not meant for him to hear. “…if I’ll ever meet him again…”

 

* * *

 

_It was a pleasure to meet you last night, detective._

_I have stolen many treasures in my life, but the one I claimed last night was by far the most precious._

_I hope we meet again,_

_-Joker_

It was a _stupid_ thing to do.

Akira knew that. He was perfectly aware that continuing to send calling cards, after everything that happened, would only serve to make matters worse. And so, of course, he did it anyway.

The calling card had been sent in his usual way, with a small, red rose sent together with the envelope. Akechi accepted the gift; Akira knew that, because the detective spent half of the next day in Leblanc, playing with the calling card in one of the booths as he tried – and failed – to focus on some old cases he was ordered to review. It was the sweetest torture, watching Akechi’s eyes light up every time he looked to the side, at the little piece of red paper. Akira wished he had more self-control.

The following days weren’t any better. Akira couldn’t help himself; every time he quietly decided that he couldn’t, _shouldn’t_ continue the flirting and letting himself fall even more, all it took was Akechi showing up with his sighs and his little, fond smiles to make him throw caution out the window. Akira sent him more calling cards; apologizing for allowing him to come to harm, praising his bravery, even one simply wishing him goodnight. He sent the detective flowers; finally, after Ann threatened to kick him out the window unless he either drops it or does something serious with it, Akira had sent his last calling card from the batch.

He had invited Akechi to dine with him. He was to come alone; unarmed and with no electronic devices on him; to a particular restaurant at a particular time. The Maitre d’ there owed Joker a big favour; one that easily took the form of one table being carried up to the roof, and one waiter being assigned there especially for the night, to tend to Joker and his guest. Futaba’s good graces made the roof safe and bug-resistant, and she even gave him a tiny little device that changed his voice, so that they could talk freely.

To Akira’s surprise – and delight – Akechi _did_ show up. Just like they agreed, he was alone and unarmed, and with nothing suspicious on him. What’s more important, though, was the way he looked. Akira needed a while to gather himself up when their waiter for the night opened the door and guided Akechi to their rooftop table. The detective looked gorgeous in an elegant, beautifully-cut white suit that looked made to both match and contrast Joker’s clothes. A perfect summing up of everything that was _them_ \- Akira could hardly remember himself enough to stand up and welcome his guest instead of just staring in awe.

“…so you really are here.” Akechi said when he saw him, and Joker allowed himself a smile, reaching out his hand.

“Did you think my invitation was a joke, detective?” He asked. He could see Akechi wince at the artificial-sounding voice, but that couldn’t be helped. After a moment’s hesitation, the detective took his hand and stepped closer, looking around them – at the quiet beauty of the night up here, at the view and at the single table, set just for the two of them. Akira saw him smile, genuinely this time.

“…is it strange? I’m glad it wasn’t.” He said softly.

“It’s not one bit strange,” Akira replied, helping him to his seat. “I feel the same.”

It was a careful dinner, Akira thought afterwards. They talked, though they were careful in what they said. It felt like dancing, more than anything else; looking out for the partner’s cues, one careful step after the other.

It was also _intoxicating_ , the bizarre moment getting into their heads like fine wine.

They ordered their food and ate, their playful dance of a conversation continuing well after the dessert. The waiter left some time ago; they were alone, with only the stars blinking above them, and the city beneath their feet. At one point - just as the current conversation topic faded away, and Akechi was covering his face to stifle a laugh at something Akira had said, the raven stood up, reaching his hand out to him.

They walked out, towards the edge of the roof, smiling and quiet, their fingers interlaced. Out there, there were no chimneys, no walls to shield them from the warm wind tugging at their clothes and nothing to obscure their view. Akechi gasped and stepped forward, and Akira caught his hands, steadying him as the detective stood on the very edge, enchanted by the view.

Below them, the city stretched out - a landscape of blinking lights, fading into the horizon. Above them, the starry sky mirrored the brightness below; and here the two of them stood, caught up in the middle, dancing on the edge.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Akira whispered into Akechi’s ear, delighting in the way the detective pressed his back against his chest. “The whole city, right there for you to take it. Doesn’t it make you feel… _free_?”

For a long moment, Akechi didn’t reply, taking it all in; and when he did, his voice was quiet, so soft Akira had to think whether he really heard it.

“…why did you invite me out here, Joker?”

“Why did you accept?” He answered with a question of his own.

“Ah…” Akechi smiled, looking over the bright, bustling city for the last time before turning around in Akira’s arms to face him. Akira took a step back, pulling them away from the edge; he never moved away from his detective, though.

“I have been removed from your case, Joker.” Akechi said, finally. Akira felt himself smile.

“I know. News travels fast. And anyhow, I would have not risked inviting you to cross your work ethics quite so brazenly if I wasn’t aware that you are no longer obliged to chase me.”

“The higher-ups decided there would be a conflict of interest; chasing the man I owe my health, if not my life to. Perhaps they were right. But the situation did… get me thinking.” Akechi took a long, steadying breath, and Akira felt his heart speed up. The man Akechi was talking to wasn’t him, he knew; it was Joker, the gallant thief Akechi thought of as his rival and equal. The moment his mask would be off, Akechi would lose interest in him, Akira _knew_ that; and yet, he wanted to hear…

“I’ve been chasing after you for so long. You were always on my mind; trying to think like you, trying to foresee your steps, trying to get into your mind… we clashed and fought so many times; sometimes one would win, sometimes the other. It was like never-ending chess-match between two mirrors of the same mind. After being confronted with the reality of being removed from such a case…” Akechi sighed again. There was a soft dusting of pink over his cheeks right now; Akira had to stop himself from kissing it.

“I realized I don’t want to. Not because I wanted to catch you; catching you… wouldn’t it make me feel just like I do right now? Wouldn’t it feel hollow, to finally reach the end of the chase? But the thrill of chasing after you… the obsession of following your footsteps in this dance of ours…” Akechi hesitated, and then looked up at him.

“Do you not feel the same, Joker?”

This was a kiss different from the one they shared then, up on the roof. That one was just a tease; a charade that became too real. This… this was a whole new thing entirely. With Akira’s hand cupping Goro’s cheek, with the detective’s hands resting over his waist, with the two of them hanging in balance, the sky over their heads and the city under their feet. It was a kiss Akira wanted to etch into his mind and never forget.

“…I’ll take that as a yes,” Akechi whispered against his lips once they parted; and for the second time, reached his hands up, resting them over Akira’s mask. For the second time, Akira caught his wrists before he could remove it, their eyes meeting over their joined hands.

“…what are you afraid of?” Akechi asked, his head tilting just slightly to the side. “I have been removed from the investigation… even if I gave the information about your identity to the police, I have no proof to substantiate it with. Besides… have I not explained to you, beyond all doubt, that catching you is no longer what I want? Much less feeding you to the system so crooked your existence is even needed to reform it…”

“That’s not it, detective,” Akira said, wishing he could keep the sadness from his voice. With all the gentleness in the world, he leaned in, pressing a sweet, chaste kiss to Goro’s lips before pulling away completely.

“I trust you not to betray my identity.”

“Then why—”

 _“I am in love with you, Goro Akechi_ ,” Akira said, looking him straight in the eye. “I have been, for a long time. But the man _you_ have feelings for will not exist once you take off this mask, detective. And I am not prepared to lose you just yet.”

 

* * *

 

“Have you ever been in love before, Akira-kun?”

Akira broke another cup and was subsequently smacked over the head by Sojiro. He ducked behind the counter, using the excuse of gathering up the broken cup pieces to hide his red face.

It was the next day after their date, and Akechi was in Leblanc again. Akira had spent the whole night, once he had gone home after their dinner, thinking and reliving the whole evening. He had a hard time deciding how to feel about it. On one hand, his whole being was singing. The kiss they shared over the city, Akechi’s confession of his feelings for him, the look they shared after Akechi attempted to take off his mask… They were things that kept replaying in Akira’s mind theatre, making his heart beat faster and his lips stretch in a smile. But the end…

Well, what _was_ he supposed to say, really? Alright, I’ll show you my face – I’m the boring guy you never pay attention to enough to notice I might be the very thief you’re looking for. Yeah, right. He could see how well _that_ would go. Akira felt miserable; on one hand, he felt like he never wanted to see Akechi again, period. Let it hurt, let it bleed out on its own and pretend everything was fine until it really became so. On the other, the thought of going even a day without seeing the boy he now knew, beyond all doubt, he was in love with made something tear at Akira’s heart.

And it wasn’t exactly his choice whether they will keep meeting or not – not when in the afternoon of the following day, Akechi marched into Leblanc, looking like he hadn’t been sleeping whole night and yet _glowing_ for it, and demanded coffee and answers to questions Akira really would rather not touch right now.

“Ah— um, I suppose so?” He managed to stutter out and heard Akechi hum – and then, yes, sigh softly again. He could bet he was doing the thing right now, the thing where he’d tuck a strand of hair behind his ear and start playing with the end of it, looking so damn adorable…

“Can you tell me more?”

Akira re-emerged from behind the counter, throwing the pieces of the broken cup into a trashcan and reaching for a new one, starting on Akechi’s coffee. He hesitated, weighing his words.

“It’s… I mean… someone I met by accident, I… I just really admire everything about them. Sometimes, it feels like they’re the only person in the world that gets me, really gets me…”

Unless I’m trying to surreptitiously confess to them, of course.

“Anyway… why do you ask, Akechi-kun? Is there someone you like?”

Akechi ignored his question, and Akira felt like it really wasn’t very fair of him.

“And… you know that person?”

“Well… yeah. I’d risk saying I know them better than anyone. Probably. They definitely let me see a lot about themselves they don’t let others see. And talk to me about things they probably wouldn’t have spoken to anyone else.”

Akechi hummed in acknowledgement, and Akira wanted to shake him.

“But that was _their_ choice, wasn’t it? How can anyone expect you to accept their real self if they don’t want to reveal it to you in the first place…” Akechi sighed, and Akira couldn’t really find any words to reply to it with. With a little, sad smile, Akechi looked down at the counter. He’s been drawing hearts on it again.

“You know, Akira-kun… sometimes I feel like I’m really, really bad at things like… emotions and, well, relationships. I never gave it much thought, always focused on work… and when something suddenly happens, I feel… stunted.”

“You don’t say,” Akira said flatly. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. Akechi’s sad smile only widened, though.

“Indeed… ah, well. I should perhaps stop bothering you about this. After all—”

“The way I see it,” Akira said, setting down the cup of coffee in front of Akechi and leaning on the counter, his side to the detective. “If you… really like someone… if you’re in love with someone… you should make sure you’re in love with them _completely_ before you make a move.”

“What if I _do_ love them completely?” Akechi asked, brow raised. Akira sighed and gave him a little shrug.

“You sure about that?”

“Well…” Akechi hesitated and chewed on his lip. His gloved hands wrung on the counter; Akira could see the tension almost seep from the detective seated before him. Finally, Akechi frowned, and his next words were weighed and careful.

“I wish I could say I _know_ them completely, as you know the one you like, Akira-kun. But what if the person I have feelings for doesn’t want to trust me enough to reveal their true self to me? How can I make them–”

“Maybe they’re scared.” Akira heard himself say, unable to stop himself. He felt Akechi’s russet eyes on himself and continued. “If they like you back… they probably don’t want to show themselves to you from the worst side. What if they’re a disappointment? What if they’re boring, and you decide they’re not worth your time?”

“I could never– That’s impossible, Akira-kun.” Akechi visibly bristled up. Akira couldn’t help but smile a delicate little smile. “Someone with their mind… their kindness… It can’t be all an act, what they’re showing me. I _want_ to get to know them better; this is why I–”

Akira sighed and pushed himself off the counter, putting the jars with beans on their rightful places. He felt something inside him break; it was as if an invisible cord was being stretched more and more inside of him until it finally gave way.

“Relationships are hard.” He heard himself say; and again, he was completely unable to stop himself. “They’re like… a never-ending chess-match.”

All of a sudden, from behind him, there was silence. It felt as if someone turned the sound off. Akira smiled to himself sadly and turned around, his eyes locking onto Akechi’s crimson ones. They rarely looked one another in the eye; rarely were close enough for Akira’s double barrier of bangs and glasses to allow anyone to see his eyes, even. Now, Akechi’s eyes were wide and bearing into him, searching, confused…

“A never-ending chess-match, between two mirrors of the same mind.” Akira continued and saw Akechi’s cheeks grow incredibly red.

For just a second; just a single moment, the raven thought it had worked. For just a little while, he thought that… perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps he _was_ good enough.

And then, Akechi stood up abruptly and left, with hardly more than some incoherent excuse. Akira watched him go, trying to ignore the sudden, overwhelming feeling threatening to crash over him. The door swung shut after Akechi, and as they did, Akira could pinpoint the exact moment his heart broke in two.

 

* * *

 

Perhaps, in retrospect, deciding to take on a whole new heist right after he had been so thoroughly rejected wasn’t the best idea in Akira’s career.

It wasn’t even that difficult of a heist. Just another file needing to be stolen from some crooked CEO of some crooked corporation. The new detective assigned to his case, though receiving all the help from the team previously working with Akechi and undoubtedly consulting with the detective himself, was no match for the Phantom Thieves.

Which was why, Akira thought as he ran through the winding corridors of the CEO’s residence and ducked into another room, just in time to evade another group of policemen hunting him, he only had himself to blame for screwing up quite so badly.

He was beginning to panic; the folder with the documents felt uncomfortable under his arm, and its white shade against his dark Joker costume made Akira an easy target. He took a wrong turn - it was this simple, an honest rookie mistake - and ran into a security patrol, and all the planning went all the way to hell.

Now, Akira scrambled to get himself back to where his way up to the roof was. Oh, the roof of the mansion was manned and surveilled, sure; but they had discovered a half-built over, little place there, through which one could squeeze away and down onto the streets, and then it was a free run into one of the thousand-and-one hideouts the city offered. Now, if only Akira could…

A shadow peeled itself away from the wall; a vision of blue-and-black costume and black mask flashed in front of Akira, and his free hand has been grasped by the other figure.

“This way!” He heard the familiar voice, and then they were running; running madly and with no chance to stop, all the way to Akira’s extraction point, through the vents, all the way up to the roof. It seemed the Phantom Thieves’ little hideout up there wasn’t as secret as Akira had hoped, but that thought was only somewhere on the back of his mind. He stared, completely speechless, as the man who helped him blocked the way they entered through with a few bricks that were lying around and then looked up at him, crimson eyes flashing through the eye holes of the mask.

Gingerly, feeling as if he was in a dream, Akira reached out, and his wrist has been caught in a steady hold before he could pull the mask away.

“...do you still think you know me completely, Joker?” The man said, straightening up and letting go of his hand. Akira pulled the mask away, watching Akechi’s eyes gleam in the moonlight. Around them, there were shouts. People were looking for them, but here, in their little hideout, they were safe. Slowly, Akechi brought his own hands up, and for the first time, Akira didn’t stop him. He closed his eyes when the mask had been lifted, and only opened them when he felt the silence grow too tense to endure.

Akechi was looking at him; his eyes were soft, and not at all disappointed.

“Akira.” He said, and that alone felt like it could mend Akira’s broken heart.

“...what’s your name, then?” He asked, taking a hesitant step closer. Akechi let out a quiet, embarrassed chuckle, looking down at his black mask.

“...Crow? I suppose?” He said finally, before looking back up at him. “I would rather _you_ call me Goro, though.”

“Goro.” Akira smiled, and his smile has been mirrored by the detective in front of him. Goro took his free hand in his own and squeezed, bringing it to his lips.

“I apologize for taking so long.” He said, in a serious voice. “And I apologize for leaving so abruptly. It was… a lot to think over. And then, I had no idea how to… well, go back. I hurt you, didn’t I? I’m so–”

Goro never liked being interrupted, Akira knew; and he also knew he was doing it a lot lately. But, somehow, this time he didn’t think the detective minded.

Akira still had no idea what exactly was happening, and neither did he have an idea what Goro was doing; whether he was joining their team, whether they were going to fight together from now on, whether this was all just a huge trap… he didn’t care.

Right now, in the middle of a headhunt meant to capture him, carrying stolen documents and with his mask off and face bare, he was kissing the detective who used to spend his every waking hour chasing after him – and life has never been more beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Bloo and Nate for betaing!
> 
> This fic has a beautiful companion piece drawn by Hinya! You can see it [here!](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1125153701704937475?s=20)
> 
> If you like my stories, you can find me on twitter [@mikan_writings](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings) and/or tumblr at [mikan_writings](https://mikan-writings.tumblr.com/)!


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